After the journeyman certificate — what you can build on
From skilled to technician engineer or own company
Many think a vocational education is the end of schooling. It is far from it. As a trained toolmaker you stand with a strong professional foundation and there are several paths if you want to go further — both short courses and longer educations.
§Specialization and courses on the job
The easiest path forward is to develop expertise within the trade. You can become an expert in, for example, CNC programming, CAD/CAM design or a particular type of tool. Many courses are taken while you are in work and quickly give you more responsibility and a stronger position at work.
§Towards design and project management
The education has a level aimed at tool construction and development—where you not only manufacture but also design and manage development projects with CAD and calculations. It is a natural step for someone who wants to work more with planning, drawing, and overview than with the machines themselves.
§Higher educations
With a journeyman's certificate — and particularly if you took the education as EUX — you can study further on a higher technical education. Here are some of the typical paths:
| Direction | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Production technologist (short further education) | Broad knowledge of production, automation and control |
| Machine master | Operation and management of technical systems |
| Diploma Engineer / Mechanical Engineer | Design and development at engineering level |
| Academy and diploma courses | Further training in management, quality and technique alongside work. |
§Becoming self-employed
With experience and a good network some choose to start their own business — e.g. a small tool workshop or specialised subcontractor. Here you combine the trade with running a business and courses in economics and management can be good support on the way.
§To learn from you
Over time, you can become the one who trains new students. Being a trainer or subject leader is a career path in itself — and a way to pass on your craft. It requires that you both know the subject and can communicate it.
“Your journeyman certificate is not a finish line — it's the starting line for everything you can build on.”